Consulting

I advise companies, authorities and organizations on nature conservation and environmental planning. The goal is to find solutions that support a healthy human-nature relationship and contribute to sustainable development. The specific task will always be adapted to the customer’s needs and goals.

Below are examples of areas where I offer advice:

Nature conservation and biodiversity
Denmark’s nature and biodiversity are protected in various ways through, among others, nature reserves, Natura 2000 designations and National Parks. How is the best nature protection ensured and how are the areas managed most effectively? I advise broadly on nature conservation, including the application of IUCN global tools for the assessment and certification of protected nature.

Nature-based Solutions
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a concept that focuses on providing answers to society’s challenges that take into account nature and biodiversity. The solutions will often focus on the conservation and restoration of nature and incorporate the societal benefits that ecosystems can deliver. IUCN has developed a global NbS standard that can be used to design and quality assure specific projects. This standard forms the basis of my advice on NbS.

Environmental assessments
I assist companies and municipalities throughout the whole environmental assessment process. It can be in the initial phase of a construction project or in the final phase of a nature restoration plan. The focus is on aspects of nature and biodiversity, including the protection of Annex IV species, §3 designations, and conditions set under EU directives and Danish regulation.

Integrated analysis
With my research background from Aarhus University, integrated analysis (IA) is central to my work in Denmark and Greenland. IA is about analyzing complex interrelations between the environment and societal development and compiling all available knowledge and data into an overall meaningful analysis. If your company needs to create an overview of a complex situation, then IA may be the answer.

Tasks and projects are usually carried out with me as the central advisor. I often involve skilled partners with whom I collaborate on an ongoing basis.

Please feel free to contact me at bo (@) naturtanken.com or send an sms to +45 2087 1933 for an informal chat about possible consultancy assignments or project collaboration.

Examples of tasks and projects:

Nature Protection at Sea
In a project supported by the VELUX Foundation, we reviewed all protected areas in Danish waters and assessed them in accordance with the IUCN’s international standard for nature protection. The project showed that 4.8% of Denmark’s total sea area is protected according to the IUCN standard. This means that Denmark is only halfway meeting the UN goal of 10% protection at sea. IUCN – the International Union for Conservation of Nature – is the world’s largest nature organization.

Beskyttet hav i Danmark
Alpe-tjærenellike foran isfjelde nord for Ilulissat-Foto Bo Normander

Nature Guide Greenland
For the Danish publisher Gyldendal, I have written a comprehensive nature guide for Greenland. On 384 richly illustrated pages, the book comes all the way around Greenland’s nature, geology, climate and not least the unique animal and plant life so far north. To create the book, I carried out extensive work to collect and synthesize the complex and scattered knowledge that exists about Greenland’s nature and climate – from scientific articles to local citizens’ observations. Through this, I have gained a unique overview of the state of nature and the environment in Greenland and the importance of climate change, societal development and the increased global interest in Greenland.

Assessment of Protected Areas in Danish Municipalities
Together with Parks’n Trails and GEON, I advise municipalities and others about their protected nature areas. By applying the international standard for protected areas developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it can be shown whether a municipality complies with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals related to nature conservation. The IUCN standard provides a powerful tool for the municipality to set targets for nature conservation and management. As an example we have assessed all of Gladsaxe Municipality’s protected nature areas. Of 73 investigated areas, we found that 30 areas meet the IUCN standard.

Aldershvile Skov. Foto: Bo Normander
Møns Klint. Foto: Bo Normander

Evaluation of Denmark’s Nature Protected Areas by Global Standard
For the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, NaturTanken participated in a major project on Danish nature conservation in order to create an overview of the many protected areas in Denmark and ensure better reporting to the EU and the UN. Out of 1,720 assessed conservation areas, 378 were found to comply with IUCN’s international standard for protected areas. The project and its results can be found here

Development and Concept for Denmark’s Biodiversity Barometer
As former programme manager at WWF Denmark, I was key responsible for the development of the Danish Biodiversity Barometer, which documents the status of Denmark’s efforts in relation to the UN’s 20 biodiversity goals – the so-called Aichi targets.

Scenarios for Future Farming
As project manager, I participated in the Danish Ecological Council’s development of four future scenarios for Danish agriculture. As part of the project, we developed a tablet-based role-play on the future of farming, which won the gold medal at the European Commission’s CAP Communication Awards 2014.

Denmark’s State of the Environment Reporting
As former senior researcher at Aarhus University, I was project manager and editor of Denmark’s State of the Environment reporting. The reports are published every four years and provide comprehensive analysis of a country’s state of nature, climate and environment.